Media Musings

Archie Hubbard

2011-03-25T07:07:00.001-07:00

Awesome congress. Awesome.

2010-12-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Congress... never thought I would say that. They passed a law recently to make it illegal for commercial makers to crank up the volume on their ads. I am sure many of you have noticed that the volume on some of the commercials are ten times louder than the show you are watching. So you have to go back and forth with the volume to hear your show but not be blasted out by the commercials. Hooray for law makers! My ears thank you.

The Soup: 300th Episode

2010-12-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to The Soup for giving a weekly dose of entertainment news with flavor for 300 episodes. Joel McHale the host of the show always finds ways to bring humor as well as uniting people like Sanjaya, Regis, and Martha Stewart. We would like to tell Joel we THANK YOU! Also, a big thank you goes out to him for his highly underrated role in Community. In my opinion this entertainment news talk is hilarious and I do make it a point to watch it when I am tuned into the E!

http://bit.ly/hjKUdc

Microsoft to Create Its Own TV Service, Sources Say

2010-11-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has been making some negotiations with TV networks in order to create an online pay-television system possibly trough the Xbox system. Microsoft plans to establish a monthly fee, The system will work similarly like other systems such as Google TV, and Netflix. Some of the difference will be off course the visual components that Xbox can offer, plus the new motion technologies where people can operate their TV with out having to use an actual remote controller, rather people will use their own hands help by the motion sensor the Xbox has.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/29/microsoft-create-tv-service-xbox/

Harry Potter Hits #1

2010-11-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter and the Deatlhy Hallows-Part 1 managed to hold the Number 1 spot over the three-day weekend grossing around 50.3 million. It did better than the Twilights in a five day week. Next in line was Tangled holding the Number 2 to spot grossing around 49.1 million. I am not a fan of Harry Potter, but I guess I don't need to be for it do exceedingly well. Megamind and Burlesque came in holding the third and fourth spot with just around 12 million. Leaving Unstoppable with the great Denzel Washington at the Number 5 spot with just a little under 12 million.

http://bit.ly/fpPy6t

Do You Love A TV Show...That Everyone Else Hates...

2010-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Fox won't be ordering more episodes of Running Wilde. The show was not perfect by a long-shot, its whole idea of adding a bit of a comedic side like Arrested Development sitcom just didn't work. I never watched the show to ever know if I would be interested in anything like that. However, occassionally I do find myself watching shows when I do get the chance to watch a little tv from the big four networks, and I fall into the same issue...watching a show that everyone else hates. It's a little sad. What can I say, tv shows ratings are truly based on the audience's preference. I guess there is not too many cool people in the world like I thought haha. What do you think???

http://bit.ly/e5fsP4

Conan O'Brien Reclaims Late-Night Spot

2010-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Conan O'Brien reclaims spot on late-night cable tv. However, questions are be raised about will he live up to all the hype that is being talked about all over various media circuits. O'Brien has been off the airs since Leno's primtime late show was cancelled due to disapponting ratings. NBC paid O'Brien around 40 million dollars to free up so that Leno could return to late-night tv. The settlement left O'Brien to launch a competing show after the 1st of September. TBS annoucnes plans to bring O'Brien on board in April. O'Brien plans to have many guest appearances by stars during the first week.

http://bit.ly/ash2Am

Which Movie Are You Seeing This Weekend???

2010-11-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

A long holiday weekend and catching a movie at your nearest theatre are like two peas in a pot. Luckily, there were four movies to choose from: Burlesque, Love and Other Drugs, Faster, and Tangled. Tangeled is the spin on Rupunzel's fairy tale and is said to win you over towards the end. Love and Other Drugs didnt go over well for some, but for some they might be drying tears while the others are rolling them. Burlesque is the rehashing of Showgirls and to some not really believeable. Faster is is awfully simple minded. If you have seen any of these movies, tell me your idea of the whole movie seen or what you think it will be like if you have not yet seen it or have no intentions?

http://bit.ly/fmYd8V

Kanye, Nicki Minaj Could Have Strong First Week Sales

2010-11-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

Billboards are reporting that rappers Kanye West and Nicki Minaj are likely to have a huge week in sales. Between Kanye's "Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" they could each sale at around 50,000 copies each if not more. According to Billboard, Nicki Minaj's sales achievement could mark the sales best week for hip-hop female artist since Nielson SoundScan began tracking in 1991. Big ups to the two geniuses in the game!

Pop Star and Teen Heartthrob Justin Bieber To Appear on the Next Episode of BET's "Being Terry Kennedy," Tuesday, November 23 at 10 P.M. Read more: B

2010-11-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Justin Beiber is scheduled to appear on the next episode of "Being Terry Kennedy" on BET tonight. Being Terry Kennedy is a show about an ambitious professional skater/entrepreneur. Beieber is said to land a few skate tricks himself on tonight's episode. I haven't ever watched an episode and I don't know about everyone else but if the ratings for this show are as low as I'm sure they are, having Beiber on tonight will definitely boost ratings especially after his huge win as vocalist of the year. So check it out guys, and who knows, maybe this show will stay on for another season.

If You work for Disney and Text & Drive, You May be Fired

2010-11-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Disney Company sent out a memo to its employees because they are updating their "vehicle safety policy" In which the policy prohibits Disney employees who drive in company cars and private cars while on company business from sending and reading texts or e-mails while driving.
If you care about your job and want a paycheck, then sending and reading messages can wait.

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/11/work-for-disney-and-like-to-te.php

Jeff Gaspin Leaving NBC

2010-11-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Who is Jeff Gaspin? For those who do not know he is the or use to be chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment. His duties consist of oversees all business, creative, production, distribution and marketing aspects of NBC Universal's wide-ranging entertainment television operations. Since the recent merging with Comcast many changes could be coming our way. Things that Jeff Gaspin wants no part of. Check out the link. Why do you think Jeff Gaspin is leaving?

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/11/report-jeff-gaspin-leaving-nbc.php

Shalit Leaves 'Today Show' After 40 Years

2010-11-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

It is as the title states. After 40 years of being a famous personality known for his wild hair and moustache, Gene Shalit is leaving the Today Show. The article did not mention if he is retiring or anything of the sort, but he says that he is going to pursue other activities such as publishing, radio, and commercials. Wonder who they are going to get to replace the critic? Does NBC have a line up already of likely candidates? Or have they already chosen someone to slide right into home? We shall see in up coming news.

Article

AT&T Launches Mobile App for Windows Phone 7

2010-11-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

AT&T's U-verse has launched the Mobile app for Windows Phone 7 devices and is allowing any AT&T Windows Phone user to use the app watch hit TV shows for free for 30 days. The company is also making the shows available for free until February 1, 2011 to any U-verse TV customers that subscribes to the U100, U200 and U200 Latino packages. Customers will be charged $9.99 a month once the free trial ends. The overall strategy of making of the U-verse is to make TV available on more devices.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/459644-AT_T_Launches_Mobile_App_for_Windows_Phone_7.php

Goodbye UnderCovers

2010-11-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/national-broadcast/e3i57f7ab3b9757aad3a0a9297ebde4c12a

Sad to say but NBC has cancelled Undercovers. This was a highly anticipated show but viewers did not like it as much as NBC thought. According to the article "Undercovers finished a distant fourth in the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour with just 5.91 million viewers and a 1.3 rating/4 share among adults 18-49 on Nov. 3." After December 1st the show will no longer be on air. I personally think that people like the show but did not have time to get into it. I think that NBC should have given it more time. They already cut other shows just as My Generation and The Whole Truth.

AMC Resurrects "The Walking Dead" for a Second Season Read more: Breaking News - AMC Resurrects "The Walking Dead" for a Second Season | TheFutonCri

2010-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

AMC announced today the renewal of "The Walking Dead" for a 13-episode second season. Since debuting on Sunday, October 31, "The Walking Dead" has broken ratings records, with the series reaching more Adults 18-49 than any other show in the history of cable television! Now I've never watched the show before but that outstanding statistic really makes me want to! That's a pretty big deal in my opinion."The 'Dead' has spread!" said Charlie Collier, President, AMC. "No other cable series has ever attracted as many Adults 18-49 as 'The Walking Dead.' This reaffirms viewers' hunger for premiumtelevisionon basic cable. We are so proud to be bringing back 'The Dead' again, across the globe." From reading this I would say that if you haven't seen "The Walking Dead" on AMC you might want to do it in a hurry before they change their minds for whatever reason.

HTC 7 Surround launches on AT&T

Noways phone users are looking not only for a machine that lets them make calls, send text messages, see videos and surf the web, but they also look for a true multimedia "high quality" experience. The HTC 7 Surround is an smartphone which features very high quality audio, with speakers that can recreate SRS surround sound and a 3.8 inch display people will truly enjoy a movie on the go without having to wear headphones in order to get descent sound. The price at AT&T goes for 200 dollars with contract or 500 dollars without it in Amazon.com. SRS sound is only achieved with a 5.1 (minimum)set up, however; technology and science has manage to apply logarithmic techniques to make this devices to analyse a room and actually recreate a SRS experience with only 2 speakers. As a sound engineer i will surely appreciate this piece and hopefully i will get to check it out soon.
http://www.choiceopinion.com/htc-7-surround-launches-on-att/1253/

Fox Attempts to Block Cablevision Users From Watching Its Shows on Hulu.com, Angering Viewers

2010-11-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, FOX decided to shut their programmed shows down on HULU this past Saturday. This action of theirs caused many and plenty of angry cablevision users. That was the purpose. FOX felt that those that have cable should be watching FOX on the television versus watching it online for free with HULU. Investors thought that the decision of the company was a smart move but what about the people that don't have the internet or use it for television? Because of that thought, HULU lifted the blocking off and continued back to what they were doing. To me, this is surely bound to happen again sooner than people think..Article

Charlie Sheen and his problems.

2010-11-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

So Charlie Sheen has had some problems and everyone knows what they are. His wife, Brooke Mueller, filed for divorce and it is understandable. I love Charlie Sheen as an actor but come on dude. Get it together! He just keeps on messing up things and going crazy. He is wanting joint custody of his twin boys. I don't know if he'll get them considering everything he has done. Charlie you are on thin ice and may not be able to come back from it. That "woman" you hired probably was not worth all thats happened.

Television Station gets pulled from DirecTV

2010-11-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

According to tvbizwire.com the G4 tv station was pulled from the DirecTV listings , as of November 1, 2010. The station being pulled airs a variety take on a very popular gaming aspects and lifestyles. The G4 station is owned by cable giant Comcast. Comcast said that DirecTV was not paying the extra money Comcast sees that the channel is worth. With all of the hullabaloo surrounding the sell of NBCUniversal to Comcast will this put a damper on the relations between DirecTV, or is this just a tiny glitch that will not have any lasting affects? Only time will tell.

DISH Network and Fox Networks Reach Comprehensive Programming Agreement Read more: Breaking News - DISH Network and Fox Networks Reach Comprehensive

2010-10-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

DISH Network Corporation and Fox Networks, today announced a wide-ranging distribution agreement to provide the third-largest video distributor in the United States with continued access to programming from Fox Broadcasting and Fox local television stations in major cities. The agreement also included carriage of FX, National Geographic Channel, and Fox's 19 regional sports networks, which were restored for DISH Network viewers Friday. I think this is a great idea, as long as they keep doing new things and not just staying comfortable with where they are. I'm sure they'll do great together in this venture."After prolonged negotiations to reach a fair deal, we're pleased to enter into a long term agreement with Fox and to assure our customers that they can continue to enjoy these channels," said Dave Shull, Senior Vice President of Programming for DISH Network. "We thank our customers, our retail and channel partners, and our employees for their support through these negotiations, which we believe resulted in a fair deal that reinforces DISH Network's position as the best value in television."

Oprah Being sued for Plagiarism

2010-10-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Harris the author of the book, "How America Elects its President's is suing Oprah for allegdely reading out loud the exact questions that were in his book on her show on February 16, 2009 without giving Charles Harris credit. Harris is suing for Oprah's profits or statutory damages of $150,000. There has been no comment from Oprah.

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/10/oprah-hit-with-plagiarism-laws.php

Get your Marijuana domain name before it's too late!

2010-10-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Many of us may not always think about that website you are typing in in the profittable aspect, but for one Californian he sees it as big money! Kevin Faler was a former police officer, but now he has purchased over 1,000 Marijuana Internet domain names. Since California is the first U.S. state voting on whether or not to legalize it's use, Faler took this opportunity and ran with it.

If you think about it he made a very smart decision. When people go to search on the internet, usually those website addresses we remember are those that either stand out or a simple containing the subject of what we are looking for in the domain name. This is why he decided to purchase name such as icecreammarijuana.com and marijuanapastry.com. Both of these names stand out and also have the subject of Marijuana in them.

Although it might seem like a lot of money purchasing literally 1,000 different domain names, the cost to keep them running is not that expensive. He is only paying about $10 dollars a year for each address and he is planning on an unbelievable pay back with time. Purchasing domain names and thinking ahead is what brings in the dollars at the end of the day.

To read more about his story
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/us/28pot.html?ref=technology

ABC Cancels "The Whole Truth"

2010-10-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

ABC announced that they have canceled the show "The Whole Truth". It will on ly have 13 episodes then be done. They are keeping many shows though. Those shows are "No Ordinary Family", "Better with You", "Detroit 1-8-7", and "Brothers & Sisters".

Some of this is surprising based on the slow building ratings of a couple of the shows. But ABC stated that since they are growing, they will be keeping them to see where they may lead.

Naked Reality Show Begins Casting -- Catch Is, You Have to Stay Naked for 30-Day Shoot

2010-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. Producers of a new reality show are trying to cast people for their new show called "Nak'd Truth". The cast gets to stay 30 days in a resort but the catch is...YOU HAVE TO BE NAKED! Would you audition for a show like this? It seems like shows nowadays seen to be gearing towards sexual content and behavior. I feel like this show is going all wrong to get viewers. Producers say that they are directing the show towards 18-49 of age viewers and the whole point of the show is to "explore how clothing relates to relationships and status". I wonder who is actually going to pick up the show for their network...

Article

Thank you, don’t come back again!

2010-10-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

NBC’s new sitcom “Outsourced,” has aired two episodes so far. The show, airs at 9:30 on Thursdays (following NBC’s workplace comedies “The Office” and “30 Rock”), a young American named Todd (Ben Rappaport) is sent by his employer, a manufacturer of tacky novelties, to run its new call center in Mumbai, India. The show lacks creativity and when that fails, all one can rely on is the fact that most Americans still find the Indian accent funny. It’s hard not to laugh when an operator asks a caller, “Sir, how would you like to pay for your vomit and your poo?”

American culture — or the lack of it — is the target of some jokes. The problem with Todd’s gradual adjustment to his surroundings is that to be realistic, it has to end. Eventually, he’ll stop having comical misunderstandings based on cultural differences. Unfortunately, the show’s producers have probably drawn up plans to drag that story out for at least five seasons. It’s hard to see how they’re going to avoid the usual traps of a sitcom.

For now, however, “Outsourced” likely has a few more good episodes in the can. But viewers who get hooked should be forewarned that the networks are as quick as any other corporation to give subpar performers the pink slip.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reviews_21/-Outsourced-and-likely-to-run-out-of-gas.asp

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK!!

2010-10-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

GET READY!! Blackberry will have people's heads turning with their new playbook will give apple some competition with the ipad. Check out these two websites out. The playbook is suppose to come out in the beginning of 2011 and I am excited. The PlayBook allows one to be organized and take pictures with it also. This Playbook is great for download apps and makes multitasking easy. I was not that excited for the ipad but I am very excited for the Blackberry Playbook. Blackberry kind of fell off since the iphone and other apple products but I think this will kick them back into gear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtoXcwz1SgQ

http://www.examiner.com/tech-buzz-in-providence/blackberry-playbook-tablet-65gb-arrives-2011

NBC Orders Full-Season Pickups for New Series "The Event," "Law & Order: Los Angeles" and "Outsourced" Read more: Breaking News - NBC Orders Full-Sea

2010-10-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

NBC has decided to give full-season pickups to 3 of its new Fall series'. "The Event," "Law and Order; LA" and "Outsourced." has given full-season pickups to three of its new Fall 2010-11 series, "The Event," "Law & Order: Los Angeles" and "Outsourced." I'm not exactly sure how many episodes each of these shows have aired but it seems a little early in the game to make this decision but I really liked the episode I saw of the event. I believe this is a wise decision on their part and the have all the ratings to back up there decisions so I think they will continue to do well."We are pleased with the quality of 'The Event,' 'Law & Order: Los Angeles' and 'Outsourced,' and feel they are an important part of helping to re-build our schedule and our studio pipeline," said Bromstad. "We believe in these new series and the creative auspices behind them." Keep up the good work is what I say to NBC.

Adreanne' Humphrey

Fox Stations Buy Syndie Rights to 'Modern Family'

2010-10-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Fox Television Stations and Twentieth Television have announced that they signed a deal that will give the Fox stations broadcast syndication rights to Twentieth’s multiple Emmy-winning series "Modern Family."
ABC’s “Modern Family,” the No. 1 sitcom in the 18-49 demo, was sold to Fox stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Baltimore.

The syndication is prepared to air with Fox in the year 2013. It is said to be adding to the "A-list" television shows such as "Big Bang Theory" and "Dr.Oz."
Article

Advertising drives programming

2010-10-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

We've talked about the impact of advertising revenue as a force to influence progamming....it's not just the eyeballs collected by a show, it's the price that can be charged advertisers. TVNewsCheck, one of my favorite television compilation sites, features a great article from Advertising Age that lists the prices of network commercials on all primetime nights. The interactive chart lets you look at each night of the week and covers the Big Four nets plus the CW. Here's the link for TVNewsCheck. The Ad Age article is below. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/

As you compare prices, look at the price differences for various shows. For example, when "Dancing with the Stars" ends, the price per ad for the replacement show drops and the audience will likely drop also. But, the revenue could be just as high or higher because the replacement show is cheaper to license from the distribution company. STILL, the networks, especially now with so many cable channels, must be mass appeal platforms so they have perhaps an even greater need for broad appeal programming. Ads on "30 Rock" (See previous post) cost about $135,000 each. Spots in "Big Bang Theory" cost $195,000.
http://adage.com/article?article_id=146495#tues

"30 Rock"

2010-10-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

What is the opposite of rock bottom? Mountain Top perhaps! Well NBC "30 Rock" hits season's high Thursday night drew in 6.7 million viewers and 3.0 preliminary adults 18-49 rating up. That was a 43% increase from the week prior. However it was not enough to outdo CBC "$#*! My Dad Says". CBS ranked the highest overall with "CSI" and the "Mentalist". ABC was second "Grey's Anatomy and "Private Practice". NBC was third airing the "Office", "Apprentice", and "Outsourced". FOX "Bones" and "Fringe" were both down a tenth.

What do you think about this? huh huh???

2010-10-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

I kind of stumbled over this and thought, OH REALLY! I really thought and said that by the way. Two mid-season shows were announced for ABC. They were "Skating with the Stars" and "V" is returning. Now when I was reading this particular article majority of my attention was on "Skating with the Stars". It is to premiere, November 22nd at 9pm with a live premiere following a one-hour episode of "Dancing with the Stars". The skating cast will be announced on November 2nd, however we all know it will probably be leaked before then. I happen to like "Dancing with the Stars because I love to dance, little interesting fact about me! However, I love skating to but, part of me wonders how well will this do. I can't even lie, I just might be on the couch with my popcorn eager to watch every week, who knows. Nevertheless, what do you all think about it? Let me into your thoughts oohhhhhh ahhhhhh!

TV Ratings

2010-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

All the hype for what's to come for Fall Season has now ceased. There has been two significant victims, as we kind of touched on in class Fox's "Lone Star" and ABC's "My Generation". Nevertheless, shows like Glee that people like Adreanne Humphrey love dearly, have made it possible for the show to increase growth. Meanwhile the whole gamble for CBS to move "The Big Bang Theory" on Thursday's at 8p.m. has paid off with outstanding numbers. So yes, fall shows are in full swing, no longer is campus talk, better yet Program Research class with Dr. Pitts discussion is what to expect, but about hard cold numbers.

Say What? Sesame Street Goes Viral!

2010-10-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sesame Street is hit with the adults. Aside from all the talk about the Katy Perry incident that made web rounds, even though that particular show will not air on the show. However, there have been many other videos passed along the way. Many adults said that if facebook and twitter were in existence, they would share other various segments from the 70s and 80s. Sesame Street does not just limit itself to educational pieces, but discusses self-esteem as well. I mean just think about Sesame Street could evolve into something like the next adult show among Family Guy and Boondocks!

Finally Something to Cheer about on the News

2010-10-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, CNN topped the cable newschannels in ratings. The reason it did so was because of the rescue of the Chilean miners that were rescued that night at 10:00 pm central time. The channel usually ranks third behind FOX News and MSNBC but it pulled in 5 million viewers between 10 and 10:15 while the other two stations pulled in slightly less, 4.3 million and 1.3 million respectively. On a typical night at this time these channels usually draw a combined total of 2 million people. Audiences stayed up late to watch and CNN was having 1.7 million viewers between midnight and 1 am. The interesting point is that ABC's "Nightline" was airing this and they pulled in 5 million viewers which outranked the late night talk shows. Thus proving that when the news is good and uplifting people will watch and I wish I knew because I would have.

FCC's proposal to prevent the unexpected expensive cellphone bill

2010-10-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

The FCC is proposal tomorrow (Thursday) that all cell phone companies provide users with a way to inform them when they are reaching their usage limit. The plan includes either a text or voice message that will contact the user when their minutes or time are getting close to being up. I see this proposal as a great idea for all cell phone users. Since there are thousands of dollars a month in overages as well as roaming charges. The proposal also offers a plan to let users know when they are being charged for roaming, etc.
According to a November 2009 study by the Government Accountability Office it found that one in three users of wireless phones and data networks had received unexpected charges on their bills. This is a large percentage, which led the FCC to take a look into a method of preventing the users.
As for those cell phone companies, they are not in support of it. It is understandable that those charges are in the long run helping their companies, but they are hurting the customers. Verizon Wireless stated that they have different methods already in place for their users to prevent them going over on minutes, roaming, data, etc. Those methods include checking it on the internet, calling one of their phone numbers to find out monthly minutes used.
I think this solution by the FCC could very much so help those users that are not willing to check online, or call the phone number to check their status. This will give those cell phone users a reason not to complain about any expensive bill that is due to excessive minutes.

To ready more about this proposal go to: http://nyti.ms/aLYI1f

Facebook: The Movie

2010-10-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably heard about or have seen the new movie about Facebook called "The Social Network." Just recently someone was telling me he wanted to see the Facebook movie..I was actually very surprised to hear a movie already came out about it and my first impression was "that sounds horrible" so I wanted to look up some articles to find out what it was actually about...whether it focused on the man who created it and his life, or if focused on specific characters who use Facebook. I googled the the movie title and clicked the first link, which was the official website for the movie-http://www.thesocialnetwork-movie.com/ ...it didn't tell what it was about but had a couple of video clips and after watching them it seemed to be a story that focused mainly about the founders. I heard it was a pretty good movie, but because I don't like Facebook that much (even though I have a page) I'm not going to see it...maybe I'll watch it once it leaks onto the Internet. I'm sure Facebook consumes enough of people's lives as they stay on the Internet all day and now Facebook is bringing people to the theatre. An article on CNN showed some survey results on how people felt about Facebook (site) after seeing the movie. It found that most young people who saw it tend to like Facebook more, but it was just the opposite of older generations. I don't really think opinions of the movie will change people's opinions about the site...but I do wonder how Tom (from myspace) feels about this.
http://bit.ly/aqhppE

Google Dabbles in Robotics With Self-Driving Cars

2010-10-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Google Dabbles in Robotics With Self-Driving Cars

According to Google self driving cars are coming to the US in 8 years. they have been testing this vehicles in California's highways with great response from the robotic technology. This type of technology will let people do just about anything they want in their cars but driving them , which sounds kind of funny to me. If i get to have one of this i will surely install a laptop computer to asccsess the internet and maybe watch movies or read something while waiting for my car to get me to the next destination..

While it has been rumored for some time, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) announced Sunday is has been testing self-driving cars. The company equipped six Toyota Priuses and an Audi TT with technology that enabled a vehicle to drive from Google's Mountain View, Calif., campus to its Santa Monica office. It then moved on to Hollywood Boulevard. In all, Google has sent its auto-cars more than 140,000 miles -- including along the Pacific Coast Highway and across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Google notified local police of its testing program and insisted there was a clean-record driver in each vehicle ready to take over if the robot technology decided to go rogue. That may not always have been the case, though. At least one driver claims to have caught a Google cardriving unmanned and posted a video on YouTube to prove it.

NEW 4G for Verizion

2010-10-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

By the end of this year. Verizon will have 4G wireless in New York; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; and Atlanta, Georgia. This is important because this shows the growth of our technology. Smart phones are becoming everything to everybody. We as citizens are always checking our emails, news, facebook, twitter, downloading everything all the time. And when you go to different cities with no wireless tower its very fusturating. Verzion building these new towers will make sure all their customers get service no matter where they are. I could not find any articles of AT&T or T-Mobile building any 4G towers. Will Verizon be the leading leader in cell phone wireless?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/10/06/verizon.4g/index.html

Martha Stewart Struggling on Hallmark

2010-10-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

For only three weeks into the season Martha Stewarts show which airs on the Hallmark channel at 10 a.m. on weekdays has a decline in ratings of 60% from the same time slot a year earlier. The show re-airs at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and is doing worse than the original air time by 69 and 76 percent. The debut of the show did worse than " The Golden Girls" which had 500,000 viewers to Martha's 199,000. " The Golden Girls" hasn't been on the air since 1992 and is still doing well, maybe Martha should find four older women to be apart of her show.... Just a thought.

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/10/three-weeks-into-season-martha.php

Sleeper success put down for good.

2010-10-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

The show I was so excited to watch is being canceled after just two episodes. ABC’s My Generation revolves around a diverse group of young adults who attended high school together. While there, they were interviewed for a documentary. They reunite 10 years later and we see how their lives and expectations have changed.

In its first week on the air, My Generation attracted 5.2 million total viewers, for week two the show attracted.815 million viewers. ABC has now canceled My Generation and they’re pulling the show from the schedule immediately. Production on the series has been shut down. It’s unknown how many episodes have been completed but it doesn’t seem likely that the network will bother releasing the un-aired ones.
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/my-generation-canceled-18736/

It seems like every time I find a show that is groundbreaking and keeps me on the edge of my seat gets canceled. I like smart television that keeps me thinking and doesn’t need a lot of action and stupid jokes to keep your attention. Guess that is why all the shows I love get canceled. Some of my favorites are Studio 60, Mercy, and My Generation. I think I’ll go get a lobotomy and watch Hawaii Five-O That show will last a while.

MTV's Groundbreaking Docu-Series "16 and Pregnant" Returns with Nine New Episodes

2010-10-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

MTV announced that it will air nine new episodes of "16 and pregnant"! I have to say I'm pretty excited to hear this.With statistics showing that three in ten girls in the U.S. will get pregnant before the age of 20, each episode will take an intimate look inside the challenges of being a pregnant teenager. Additionally, research released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy finds that TV programs incorporating teenage pregnancy, like MTV's series, make young people think more about the risks of pregnancy and how to prevent it. I know that this season will be just as successful as the previous seasons if not more since it seems like they haven't had a new season in a while. I know I'll be watching it this season and I'm surprised at how successful the show has been and with the follow up with Teen Mom I think that this show is definitely a hit.

FOX AND PRIME TIME CHANGES

2010-09-30T10:11:00.001-07:00

We all know that prime time one of the most watched time on TV. Well Fox is changing its Prime time due to the fact that "Lone Star" was not a hit and it is getting cut. They plan on moving "lie to Me" into the monday 9pm slot and pushing back the season premiere of "Human Target". Human Target did really well last year so I guess pushing it a week back will keep the viewers anxious and want to wait one more week to watch it. I amazes me how the time shift of can effect the overall outlook of a particular time for viewers to watch television

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/09/fox-juggles-schedule-after-lon.php

THUMBS UP TO GLEE

2010-09-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

"Glee" had 13.3 million viewers and a 5.8 rating in the 18-49 demo. This was the highest out of ABC's other shows. They think since Brittany Spears was it it help boast the ratings. I see now that one celebrity can change dramatically. Once again I do like these articles because it gives specifics to who is watching what and all the demographics per show. Glee is very popular many people my age and younger watch it. It is funny and never gets boring.

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/09/britney-episode-lifts-foxs-gle.php

TO CANCEL OR NOT TO CANCEL THAT IS THE QUESTION?

2010-09-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

NBC's ParentHood did not get the high ratings as producers thought. They do not want to cancel the show just yet. So they are thinking about time shifted viewing. I like this article because it shows that they have done its research it has percentage of how much the view demos have dropped and we did talk about in class how a show placed at a certain time can effect the ratings of the show. If you were in this position would you cancel the show or keep it?

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/09/another-show-may-be-headed-for.php

Best communication career ever!

2010-09-28T10:26:00.001-07:00

Ok so I am about to graduate! I know right can you believe it. I got my cap and gown today. So, I was thinking about jobs. While playing around on the internet I found this.
UN plan for 'alien ambassador' Oh yeah! One of the most laughable jobs you will ever hear about. A Malaysian astrophysicist named Mazlan Othman, is expected to be appointed as the United Nation’s space ambassador for extraterrestrial contact affairs. That gives her the right to make the first official response to any travelling aliens. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-09/27/alien-ambassador
I can so do this job! What do you guys think? Is the world getting dumber or is that not the best job ever!?

2010-09-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Fring Brings 3G Video Calls to iPhone 4 — Are Networks Ready?
Fring has updated its voice-over-IP client, bringing support for the front-facing camera on Apple’s iPhone 4. Unlike the handset’s native FaceTime client, which is restricted to video calls over Wi-Fi and only to other iPhone 4 devices, the new Fring client supports video calls over 3G and calls to non-Apple devices such as those running Android and Symbian S60. With widespread platform support and 1.7 million iPhone 4s sold in the first three days of availability, Fring’s software is fast opening up the floodgates for mainstream video over cellular wireless.
Unfortunately, carriers had better get ready for an uptick in video-calling and video transfer in general. A recent Pew report indicates a near-doubling of consumers recording mobile video in the past year. Capturing and uploading such video is just a start — once the user-base of clients like Fring, Skype and FaceTime reach critical mass, handset owners could be flooding mobile pipes with video calls. Indeed, our own GigaOM Pro research report on video calling (subscription required) estimates that the mobile video chat market will have more than 143 million customers by 2015. Let’s hope the carriers fulfill their planned 4G upgrades and embrace high-quality video calling on the faster, new networks.

Celebrity Endorsement Strategies

2010-09-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

The opportunity to create new markets and/or tap into an activation base of fans..Such was the strategy behind Patrick Dempsey's Unscripted men's perfume for Avon.

The ability to spark sales by enticing consumers to learn more about the brand... LeBron James is one of the top three paid athletes in the world and generates a brand halo.

The means to promote a unique, relevant and sustainable brand attribute that might be hard to attain otherwise. Nike's rapid success in the golf category was chiefly because golfers wanted to lay claim to the number-one golfer in the world.

The option to build reciprocity into the partnership by supporting the celebrity endorser's brand. Lady Gaga knows how to sell, and business publications praise her business smarts as she masters social media and expands her brand beyond music.

The grounds for innovating the product/service offering. Rihanna's "Umbrella" song hit big at the Grammys, and her designs for Totes' umbrellas hit big at the retailer.

The challenge to a preconceived notion. Givenchy used Justin Timberlake's endorsement for the women's perfume Play for Her.

The collaboration that can impact the business model of the partnership. A noteworthy example is Sean Combs taking a 50/50 ownership in Diageo's ailing grape vodka, Ciroc.

We receive more than 3,000 commercial images a day; our subconscious absorbs more than 150 images and roughly 30 reach our conscious mind. Practice has it that if you use a celebrity-endorsement strategy, you dramatically accelerate the potential for your brand to reach the conscious mind of the consumer. What about the role and risks of social media? Does leveraging social media represent the next evolution for celebrity endorsement and brand advocacy? 95% of social-media users believe a company should have a presence in social media, which can get the brand into the conversation because social media enables consumers to adopt new behaviors.

http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=146023

Disney To Get More Cash from TV Stations

2010-09-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney Company is negotiating deals to get more money "retransmission fees" which are fees for over the air programming, from cable TV station affiliates such as Time Warner Cable. Time Warner would pay Disney free-to-air ABC broadcast signals on their cable systems. Time Warner is estimated to pay $1.28 billion to Disney. Many other networks and companies are in disagreements because of the change and the costs, but how it will affect the consumer is a entirely different question....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100921/tv_nm/us_disney_fees

Football Still a Ratings Winner

2010-09-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

Sunday Ratings were dominated by the "Bro Bowl" where Eli Manning's New York Giants got annihilated by his big brother Peyton's Indianapolis Colts. The ratings war on Sunday night was also one sided. The game peaked at a 9.0 rating while it's only competition ABC's "The Gates" pulled a .9 in the battle for the 18-49 demographic. I have not seen the totals for last night's game compared to all of the show's which debuted against Monday Night Football on ESPN but i believe seeing that game was better and not so lopsided it probably pulled in good numbers as well. Does this make you mad that football games draw better than most network television shows?

ABC.COM TAKES "DANCING WITH THE STARS" FROM THE BALLROOM TO YOUR COMPUTER WITH AN ARRAY OF FEATURES AVAILABLE ONLINE Read more: Breaking News - ABC.C

2010-09-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

As season 11 of Dancing with the stars begins it won't be the same as every other season. ABC.com will present multiple features on line for fans to be able to participate in and enjoy. Fans will be able to virtually go backstage and see what everyone else doesn't get to see. Also they will be able to chat along with other fans of the show every week when the show airs. Also available on www.abc.com this dancing season, in addition to full episodes, are exclusive video content, "Dancing Live Chat Party," "Backstage at Dancing with the Stars!" The videos will be available on www.abc.com as well as HULU, Youtube and ABC Mobile. An extended version of this weekly series is also available exclusively on AT&T mobile devices. I think that this is a great idea and a good extension of the show because I feel like some people have lost interest in the show since it has been on for so long and I think that this is a good way to get more people involved in the show.

http://bit.ly/d92jeO

Adreanne' Humphrey

The small screen won’t stay off the big screen!

2010-09-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well we knew it was just a matter of time. Instead of a movie coming out about how the internet is bad and it will take over and destroy us all or whatever The Net was about; movies are coming out about the history of websites. Aw. AW! I know we are so far away from movies like An Affair to Remember. I am sure you have seen the trailer for the Social Network. But if you have not here ya go:

The Social Network is an upcoming 2010 drama film directed by David Fincher about the founding of the social networking website Facebook. The film features an ensemble cast, which consists of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara and Armie Hammer.

The film was written by Aaron Sorkin and adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires. The film is set for an October 1, 2010 release. None of the Facebook staff, including founder Mark Zuckerberg, will be involved with the project. One of the co-founders, Eduardo Saverin, was a consultant for Mezrich's book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Network
http://www.thesocialnetwork-movie.com/

At least it is written by Aaron Sorkin. I love everything that Aaron Sorkin does but I don’t know if I want to promote this movie. Don’t get me wrong I am updating my status on Facebook as we speak but come on! Do you remember when movies were good? I know I know think way back to your child hood. No, you got nothing? What do I mean by good? Well, hey what about movies about human interactions. A group of friends going on an adventure to find a dead body and ended up finding themselves! Ok not the best example but why are we watching movies about the internet. When did the line get so blurred that we are online talking about movies and going to movies about what is online?

I am just ranting about this but I consider myself a student of film and I grew up watching classics and I have studied the classic here. I say classics I mean good films not about the internet. To see a movie coming out like this kinda makes me sad. At least it isn’t Dude, where’s my car?

More Apple Ideas

2010-09-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/09/report-apple-expected-to-annou.php

Apple will now have subscription plan for newspapers. This will make the iPad will provide a new source of profit for struggling newspapers. I think this is a great idea because newspapers are wanting people to buy their papers now they can by it on the ipad. So now they can have more that one newspapers and they can read it when ever and where ever. GREAT JOB APPLE.

Look out for more Gadgets this Holiday Season

2010-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well for most of us we are still in the football season mind frame, but for those in retail they are starting to prepare for their biggest season of all. The upcoming months that bring in the most profit for the entire year. So as for the various store executives they have to decide what people want and make sure they have that in their store.
What is it that people want today? Well if you look around everyone has been changing to portable/hand-held devices and technologies. The most prominent items this holiday season will be touch screen computers and electronic readers.
So for Best Buy the nation's largest electronics retailer, their Chief Executive has been working on how to design their stores in away that will draw in their customers to these gadgets that everyone is apparently wanting. This Christmas they are planning to showcase items such as the Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet computer and Amazon.com Inc's Kindle e-reader. They are also looking to expand their ipad's to all of their Best Buy locations.
However Best Buy is not the only retailer looking to bring in these gadgets, Staples, Inc. a place usually known for office supplies is planning to bring in the Kindle. They believe since most of their clientele are business oriented people, it will go over big.
These are some of the changes we can be expecting these upcoming months in our electronic retailers. It should not be a surprise that these are the types of electronics that are being showcase, since this is what people are being drawn to. They are easier to use and more practical. Those things that are stationary are just not realistic anymore. Our generation is always on-the-go. This is where we rely on technology to do the same.

To read more check out:http://bit.ly/b5BVBp

YouTube Live!

2010-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend YouTube (owned by Google) did a test of their new feature of live video streaming. YouTube's success in the past is based off of the fact that anyone can put whatever they want on the site. At the moment the live streaming is only available for a select few but if it takes off then will be available for anyone with a webcam. This weekend they had a few shows over a couple days. No results have been posted yet but it is said that it did pretty good with the strong possibility of more to come.

Google instance... oh too late.

2010-09-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

So if you have been on Google in the last week, and I'm sure you have, you might have noticed something different. Google knows what you want! Well, Google is pretty good at guessing that is. You start typing something and it starts to search before you are done typing. Some features include checking your local weather simply by pressing "W." They will have this feature and the instance search available on your mobile and next year they will unveil the faster Google. How they do that I don't know because it is all ready SUPER FAST! For other Google announcements google Google. Ha, I made a funny!

I know my post are longer and better most of the time but I think this is important to know. Think about it. Google knows what YOU want! Google a TV show maybe blog about it. Say it stinks or you love it. Then Google will log the information. Google knows what shows you like. They sell that info to the networks and the network decides what to do to your show. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Just think about it GOOGLE KNOWS ALL!

In the 'Event' NBC Does Poorly This Fall, Blame This Show

2010-09-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

For More, Click Here

NBC is getting a milti-million dollar advertising campaign to get people anxious to see the pilot of their new series, The Event, which is starring Blair Underwood. They are advertising this in magazines, tv, & radio including Underwood doing his own promoting by talking about the show on his Facebook & Twitter. The advertising for the show is also keeping a mystery as to what it is about and what the "event" is. Apparently, in one of the screenings of the show, someone compared the show to NBC's Lost, which ended in the spring season. Will all of NBC & Blair Underwood's promoting & campaigning pay off in the end? I believe that the pilot will have big ratings but as for the rest of the series, it will be a flop. Usually when anyone makes a big deal out of a show, it do not stay on the air very long. We shall see in the fall. If you want to join in the show airs on Sept. 20th at 8pm.

Why is it that we are so hooked on reality shows

2010-09-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Reality shows have become the medium of television, but what makes them so popular? It is hard to imagine that shows such as "Jersey Shore" and "Teen Mom" have reoccurring seasons. These reality shows may not be every one's first choice, but the continuous drama and characters create a story line that is constantly drawing in more viewers.
These shows rely on the viewers popularity and the best part about them is they cost half as much as scripted shows to make. This is what allows them to be produced more frequently, thus being the reason why there are so many reality shows on television today. Since the cost is that much less this allows more reality shows to be on TV, giving people the option to pick and choose which ones are to their liking.
Although we may get the same opportunity with scripted shows by getting to decide which one to watch, with reality shows it is a more make or break situation with their season airing. Since they do provide us with an escape from the world we live in and create 'real life' experiences this is intriguing to so many making viewers more drawn in to reality television.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/business/media/13reality.html?_r=1

Windows Phone aims to bury its past (and iPhone)

2010-09-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

More and more people are leaving behind those old cellphones that only could make calls and people now realized how useful the smartphones are. In addition, the most successful smart-phones companies lately have been apple with the I-phone and blackberry company. As an smart-phone user i find Black berry to be the best. however, Microsoft is coming up with their own new O.S. and they believe this will terminate the popularity of the other systems that people already use.

"Microsoft's Windows Phone team staged a mock funeral for the iPhone and BlackBerry on Friday", a sign of both Redmond's ambition and the immensity of the challenge facing the new phone operating system, which is slated to hit the market next month.

"The Microsoft event on campus was an internal event to celebrate the finalization of Windows Phone 7 software," a company representative said in a statement.

Handset makers including LG, Samsung, and HTC are among those that will initially offer Windows Phone 7-based devices, but others, including HP, have scaled back or canceled Windows Phone 7 plans. Microsoft is expected to use a huge ad blitz to help tout the arrival of the new operating system, which includes features such as a the mobile version of Office, Xbox Live gaming, and the ability to play subscription music using the Zune service.

Read more at

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20016120-56.html?tag=mncol;posts

MTV Networks and Sprint are joining forces to bring TV programming to mobile phones

2010-09-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

MTV and Sprint are planning to deliver music, comedy and television segments to Spring PCS subscribers starting in October. The programming that will be available on the phones will consist of different MTV channels, including Comedy Central, VH1 and Nickelodeon, MTV said. They also said that they want to air content exclusively for the Sprint PCS mobile customers.The programming will be available through Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Services, a wireless service that enables customers to view video on their phones. The cell phone industry is confident that these type of phones will be in high demand and I have to agree. TV will be basically unnecessary if everyone has these phones, but you also have to think about how much it's going to cost to buy the phone and to pay the monthly bill, but for some people it may be worth it.Earlier this week, MTV, a division of Viacom, said it planned to distribute music videos to mobile phones in a licensing deal with Warner Music Group. The company is also working with VeriSign to study trends in mobile entertainment.Sprint is working with Walt Disney to develop phone programming from the ESPN sports network as well as Disney entertainment for children.

Are we ready for digital radio?

2010-09-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

As I was searching, I ran across this article about the future of radio and the way in which we receive it. I have to be honest the author had some valid points such as stating that what is available now that being XM/ Sirius is to expensive. The article also gives some interesting information about having the song's title and artist in text appear where you will know who it is if the jockey forgets to pay. The author also goes into detail about how at the moment there is no truly digital radio out there. It is just a very good hybrid of analog and digital. He also says that as with the examples of television and VCR's this digital radio is coming and probably will be about another ten years before it becomes relatively affordable to the masses. If it does not cut jobs I am all for it.

Is US Weekly glamorizing Teen Mothers?

2010-09-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I was watching "Showbiz Tonight" and the panel made a big discussion about US weekly glamorizing teen pregnancy and teen motherhood by putting one of the teen mothers of MTV's hit reality Teen Mom on the cover of the magazine. Glamorizing? Really? I don't think so... I am a very big fan of the show and the more I watch it the more I know I am not ready for children. I watch these girls struggle with bills, family, and relationship issues all because of the mistake of having a child a young age. The panel suggested that if teenagers saw the magazine cover that they would want to get pregnant just to be famous and on the covers of magazines, but I don't think so. The article of the teen mom in the magazine was about the struggle of teenage motherhood and actually having a chance at love when a past relationship has failed. I believe that the magazine cover and Reality show is very inspirational to teens because it is "Reality".

http://www.mancouch.com/732163267/us-weekly-destroys-america/

I'll attack your show!

2010-09-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

So I am a nerd as you all know and as a nerd I have to watch the biggest NERD-FEST show on television. That is Attack of the Show on G4. I try to never miss an episode. It is an hour long show where they review what is hot in movies, television, internet, games, and technology. I know I’m lame but at least I am up on all the new stuff. One review that they did recently was on the Sony Bravia 52" 3D HX909 HDTV. Yeah we have brought 3D out of the theater and into our homes! I am not sure it is worth it though.

Here is the review and the link to the video of the review:

•This Bravia features Sony's new "monolithic" design, which makes this one of the sleekest TV we've seen.
•It measures just under 3" thick.
•Some inputs are on the back and some are on the side (like 2 HDMIs), so you might not have to drill holes in your wall if you wall-mount it.
•The monolith design also gives the whole TV a uniform feel.
•Not only is this TV 3D, but also can up-convert normal 2D content to 3D.
•It also have streaming Bravia content, all of which works well.
•Sony's 3D is good but not the best we've seen.
•The ghosting of a second image (or crosstalk) is visible some of the time, and the glasses flicker just enough to annoy you, but it's not all the time.
•It's not better than Panasonic's 3D but definitely more watchable than Samsung's.
•The 2D to 3D conversion was also interesting, but not necessarily something you'd want to watch for long periods.
•The Bravia Internet content is always something we really like, because there's so much of it. The interface is also very easy to use.
•Somehow, the dynamic contrast ratio is not 5 million or 7 million to 1, but infinite, which translates into an amazing picture.
•This has some of the smoothest picture quality we've seen, meaning that fast moving scenes look amazing because of the details you can pick out.
•Blacks are incredibly deep and colors are vivid and accurate.
•Our one complaint is there is a little bit of washout from the LED backlight in darker scenes.
•Other than that, it's practically perfect.
Price
•$3,600.00
Rating
•4 Seals of Approval out of 5.

http://g4tv.com/videos/47750/Sony-Bravia-52-3D-HX909-Series-HDTV-Review/

Also start watching G4 and stay in the loop.

Ad War: Google Places vs. Facebook Places

2010-09-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

The week of August 20, Facebook Places was launched. It is an application through Facebook that when a user updates their status, it lets others know specifically where they are. Facebook is hoping that the application will help them gain the ad business of local, small businesses. The idea was modified from Google Places, which launched in April and offers listings from local businesses, including street-level images. But because of Facebook, according to eMarketer, accounts for half of all social network advertising, Google has some huge competition.

Even though Facebook has a great idea by using Facebook Places to get the advertising of self-owned businesses in the local area, I do believe that users of Facebook would not want their every move shown through their updates. It may feel like a small invasion of privacy for the user.

Article Site

Print or Pixels?

2010-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

By the end of this year, 10.3 million people are expected to own e-readers in the United States, buying about 100 million e-books, the market research company Forrester predicts. This is up from 3.7 million e-readers and 30 million e-books sold last year. I notice that whenever I go to Amazon and search for a book, it always tells me to buy a kindle. Other companies like Sony are introducing new lines of e-readers while publishing companies are trying to figure out how to handle the situation of printed books vs. e-books. This article quotes a few different people, all who love to read, but some who prefer e-books over printed books. Some find it harder to get into or appreciate a book when being read on a kindle or an ipad; others find the e-readers to be more convenient. Is technology changing how we read and think about things? I personally feel like I have a better reading experience when I'm holding the book in my hand. Other times, if I have forgotten to bring a book with me, I'm glad that I have my Bookshelf app on my iphone. I like the whole experience of going to the bookstore and finding something I want to read rather than just searching for it on my bookshelf app and as cheesy as it may sound, being able to hold a book and actually turn the page makes it theexperience more intimate
http://nyti.ms/cQK38h

Rose O'Donnell's New Talk Show

2010-09-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/03/rosie-odonnells-new-show-will.php

This is a good article to read because Rosie O'Donnell's is about to get her own talk show possibly at the the spot of Oprah's old tv show. This spot has not been filled for 25 years. Another thought that came in my mind was that this might give Ellen Degeneres competition and if her show is good this means that poplar women talk shows will be hosted by gay women. Which is really rare.

APPLE TV LAUNCH

2010-09-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/09/apple-unveils-hotly-anticipate.php

The reason I chose this article is because Apple is once again changing the way we do simple things such as watching television. The new Apple TV can video stream in HD, can watch and view anything from itunes, netflicks, and for a low price. I was recently in the Apple store and I saw the display of it and the picture is crisp and clear it is designed and set up so easy to use. I am excited!

Tosh.0 bashing the Competition

2010-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Tosh.0 is one show that is still on the rise. It is a show that has a simplistic format. In this day of the average person being able to put whatever they want on the internet, the basis for this show is superb. Comedy Central first debuted this show in June of 2009 and has gained over 2.4 million viewers. The format of showing videos that can be found and has gained slight popularity on youtube is a wonderful idea. With Daniel Tosh as the host bashing each video individually, it is hard to resist. The show has a few different segments to mix things up a bit such as "Web Breakdown", where he talks about everything that is going on in the video, and "Web Redemption" where he gets the person that messed up in the video to come on and re-do what they did. He has a joke for everything and everyone. And has sympathy for nothing and no one. He went from small time comedian that few people knew about to a huge talk show host that runs over the competition such as "The Soup". In my opinion this show is a good idea gone great.

Discovery: Oprah will have her OWN show

2010-08-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

It's Oprah!!! The Oprah Winfrey Show is said to say Bye Bye Bye, next year as she enters in hosting a program on the soon-to-launch channel OWN. Discovery agreed to a $189 million funding for the network, when Oprah ups a committment to appear on OWN. Detail on the show are still underwraps. However, the new show is an exclusive addition to her next chapter, a primetime travelogue. The new channel that will overtake Discovery Health, will launch in January of 2011 after several pushbacks. After bringing her top-rated syndicated program to a close, it is said Oprah will have much time to devote to the new move. There is no doubt, that stations are on a rampage to find replacements. In the words of several people, GOOD LUCK!!!

Smart television vs. the rest

2010-08-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Smart television and the rest of the junk that is on it.

I know what you all are thinking. Gee, I wonder what the new fall lineup is for the big four? I know I was. I have to say I was very delighted with NBC and ABC. It looks like good stuff is on the way. I have all but given up on FOX. FOX is like that one thing in your house that just keeps breaking until you decide to just leave it broke. I bet that is what the show writers at FOX did. My biggest hope was that CBS would do some ground breaking show that I would flip my lid for and I would race home to watch or check Hulu every five minutes to see if it was up. I don’t know if I was disappointed or what but the big show that is coming to CBS is Bleep my dad says. That’s right, Bleep.
I didn’t know what to make of it. A show that is based off of a Twitter account? No, CBS why would you take your smart programming and flush it away? William Shatner is playing the dad? He goes from cheese ball space captain, to police officer, to lawyer, then to a mean dad that wears a fanny pack. Way to go Bill! I might be being way to harsh on CBS and this show will be smart and entertaining but I doubt it.
I know what I will be watching though. Mr. Sunshine. This is what I am excited about. My words cannot do it justice though so here is a copied and pasted version from ABC.com. I underlined all the important names. If you remember Studio 60 on the sunset strip and love it you will love this I bet. Also if you loved Studio 60 we should be friends.
“Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Mr. Sunshine stars Matthew Perry (Friends) as Ben, Allison Janney (The West Wing) as Crystal, Andrea Anders as Alice, James Lesure as Alonzo, Nate Torrence as Roman and Portia Doubleday as Heather. Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow, Marc Firek, Jamie Tarses and Thomas Schlamme are executive producers.”
So there is my little rant about dumb television and my praise of Mr. Sunshine (smart television.) I have links to Bleep my dad says twitter page and the show trailer also Mr. Sunshine’s page on ABC.com at the bottom.
http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
http://abc.go.com/shows/mr-sunshine
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/my_dad_says/video/?pid=0i5I6TsHjgYHn5TZ_khVqLuEaJEEcWSn

Humphrey's blog

2010-08-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

If Couric Doesn't Re-Sign With CBS, Zucker's Interested In Having Her Back NY Times

CBS's Katie Couric's contract is coming to an end and there has been talk of what she will do when her contract is up. CBS is in 3rd place when it comes to television ratings and there has been talk of Couric leaving the station.NBC C.E.O and president Jeff Zucker says that he would be happy to have her back at NBC and that they would consider rehiring her if she became a "free agent". I remember the big deal that went on when she first decided to switch to CBS and how much money they offered her and I'm wondering if NBC will be willing to negotiate pay if she chooses to go back to NBC. It was said that there's also talk of her moving to CNN. My thing is that if they see that she didn't really make a difference in the ratings on CBS then why not try something new. I feel like they could hire a new fresh face that the public would like and possibly gain them higher ratings not to mention not having to pay millions of dollars to the newbie. From what the article was saying though basically Couric has a lot of options and will not be at a loss for a job, which is really good for her. It looks like Miss Couric is in demand these days.

Is the Long Tail affecting American Idol?

2010-05-06T22:22:00.001-07:00

The last time "American Idol" endured ratings so low, Brian Dunkleman was the co-host, George W. Bush was president, and Simon Cowell was just some jerk from Britain.

But on Tuesday, with the show's contestant field whittled to five, "Idol" dropped to its lowest overall audience since August 27, 2002, its first season on the air.

The Fox reality competition show was watched by an average of only 17.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals, and was actually beaten in that benchmark by ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (averaged 19.6 million watchers).

Fox officials were quick to point out that "Idol" won the night in terms of the all-important adults 18-49 demographic, scoring a 6.0 rating/18 share, beating next closest competitor "Dancing" by a margin of 94 percent in that metric.

But the erosion of "Idol" this season, which has struggled amid the departure of longtime host Paula Abdul and the pending exit of Cowell, is undeniable, with the show dropping 13 percent from last week's episode.

And that's not a good thing, considering that April 17 broadcast was off 17 percent from the comparable week in 2009.

http://bit.ly/dr2cNO

Did a glitch spark the stock plunge?

2010-05-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

In class on Monday, we saw that most of our stocks that we had invested in earlier in the semester had gone down within the last couple of days. Is there an explanation for this?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A spine-chilling slide of nearly 1,000 points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, its biggest intraday points drop ever, led to heightened calls for a crackdown on computer-driven high-frequency trading.

The slide, which in one 10-minute stretch knocked the index down nearly 700 points, may have been triggered by a trading error. Major stock indexes eventually recovered from their 9 percent drops to close down a little more than 3 percent.

But the follow-through selling that pushed stocks of some highly regarded companies into tailspins exacerbated concerns that regulators can quickly lose control of the markets in a world of algorithmic trading.

High-speed trading, which uses sophisticated computer algorithms based on specific scenarios to automate transactions at speeds in the millionths of a second, now accounts for about 60 percent of U.S. equity volume.

"The potential for giant high-speed computers to generate false trades and create market chaos reared its head again today," Senator Edward Kaufman said in a statement.

"The battle of the algorithms -- not understood by nor even remotely transparent to the Securities and Exchange Commission -- simply must be carefully reviewed and placed within a meaningful regulatory framework soon."

continued... http://bit.ly/bqshow

American Consumers most powerful

2010-05-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 5, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) ----The power to transform the world's economy and end the current recession is in the hands of U.S. consumers, says author Barr McClellan in his new book

, "Made in the USA", now in bookstores nationwide.

"Made in the USA" offers an insightful, timely and thought-provoking look at the economic decline of America and its clearly identifiable causes. McClellan explains how the loss of USA- based manufacturing jobs to overseas suppliers not only exports consumer dollars but undermines the American economy. His solutions range from the closing of governmental loopholes and tax incentives that encourage the outsourcing of jobs, to simply asking American consumers to buy products that are "Made in the USA".

The book has been published by Hannover House, the media division of Target Development Group, Inc., and released in America in association with Publisher's Releasing Organization, a unit of Empire Film Group, Inc.

...to see more... http://bit.ly/atTvDq

Digg cuts 10 percent of staff..

2010-05-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Digg, which saw the departure of longtime CEO Jay Adelson a month ago, is now laying off 10 percent of its staff. In an e-mail sent to employees, founder Kevin Rose says the layoffs are necessary for the “long-term health” of the business.

The job cuts—Digg’s second round of layoffs in a year-and-a-half—raise questions about Adelson’s claims that he was leaving because the site was doing well. In fact, Adelson had specifically noted in a blog post announcing his departure that the company’s sales force was “growing” and the company’s hiring “ramping.”

Digg has made some very aggressive moves lately—the success of which aren’t known. The company ended its exclusive ad-sales agreement with Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) a year ago and, a few months later, announced a new ad platform of its own that let users vote on ads just as they do with stories. It also said this fall that an ad network—which would include non-Digg sites—was in the works.

http://bit.ly/dli3AS

Facebook Fears

2010-05-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

On wednesday, Facebook users noticed a "hole" in the security of their profiles. Private information such as chats were being revealed openly. Facebook quickly responded and believes this glitch will not harm their reputation; however, there is still concern among users.

Facebook Glitch Brings New Privacy Worries

By JENNA WORTHAM

Published: May 5, 2010

On Wednesday, users discovered a glitch that gave them access to supposedly private information in the accounts of their Facebook friends, like chat conversations.

Not long before, Facebook had introduced changes that essentially forced users to choose between making information about their interests available to anyone or removing it altogether.

Although Facebook quickly moved to close the security hole on Wednesday, the breach heightened a feeling among many users that it was becoming hard to trust the service to protect their personal information..

“It’s clear that we keep discovering new boundaries of privacy that are possible to push and just as quickly breached,” Mr. Katz said.

Social networking experts and analysts wonder whether Facebook is pushing the envelope in a way that could damage its standing over time. The privacy mishap on Wednesday, first reported by the blog TechCrunch, did not help matters...

Mr. Schrage of Facebook said the controversy over the site’s changes was indicative of a larger shift online.

“Facebook has been made the center of attention around a really important issue of how technology is changing the conception of privacy, control and sharing,” he said. “People are uneasy about it, but as they start to see the benefits and advantages of it, they start to see the value of the experiences.”

More at: http://nyti.ms/dksdtq

Regulating Internet Access

2010-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

New U.S. Push to Regulate Internet Access

By AMY SCHATZ

WASHINGTON—In a move that will stoke a battle over the future of the Internet, the federal government plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks.

The decision, by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, is likely to trigger a vigorous lobbying battle, arraying big phone and cable companies and their allies on Capitol Hill against Silicon Valley giants and consumer advocates.

Breaking a deadlock within his agency, Mr. Genachowski is expected Thursday to outline his plan for regulating broadband lines. He wants to adopt "net neutrality" rules that require Internet providers like Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. to treat all traffic equally, and not to slow or block access to websites...

At stake is how far the FCC can go to dictate the way Internet providers manage traffic on their multibillion-dollar networks. For the past decade or so, the FCC has maintained a mostly hands-off approach to Internet regulation.

Internet giants like Google Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc., which want to offer more Web video and other high-bandwidth services, have called for stronger action by the FCC to assure free access to websites.

Cable and telecommunications executives have warned that using land-line phone rules to govern their management of Internet traffic would lead them to cut billions of capital expenditure for their networks, slash jobs and go to court to fight the rules.

Consumer groups hailed the decision Wednesday, an abrupt change from recent days, when they'd bombarded the FCC chairman with emails and phone calls imploring him to fight phone and cable companies lobbyists.

Mike McCurry, former press secretary for President Bill Clinton and co-chair of the Arts + Labs Coalition:

"The question is how heavy a hand will the regulatory touch be," he said. "We don't know yet, so the devil is in the details. The network operators have to be able to treat some traffic on the Internet different than other traffic—most people agree that web video is different than an email to grandma. You have to discriminate in some fashion."

Wall Street Journal: http://bit.ly/aU3YkS

2010-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Feds to look at Apple's policy on programming tools

By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

Does Apple have the right to tell developers what kind of software they must use to create applications for its mobile devices?

That question is about to be pondered by federal regulators, who plan to examine whether Apple's (AAPL) new rules for developers violate antitrust rules, according to the Associated Press, citing a person with knowledge of the inquiry who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Apple has declined to allow Adobe's Flash software on its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, saying Flash is susceptible to crashes and battery drain.

In response, Adobe tried a workaround, introducing a new version of Flash that would let software developers create programs in Flash but save them in the format that plays on Apple mobile devices. Apple put the brakes on that with the rules it introduced in April...

Apple said this week that it sold 1 million iPads in 28 days, half of the time it took it to sell 1 million iPhones. Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones and iPod Touches, which is why this battle is worrisome for Adobe.

check out USA Today's article: http://bit.ly/bNX6uA

Market Drop

2010-05-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

High & Low Finance

Market Drop Fueled by a Crisis, Anxiety and an Error

"Combine one part nervous traders, one part Greek crisis and one part trader error. Stir in one part central bank complacency. Bring to boil. Panic.

That combination produced one of the wildest days ever in financial markets, with the Dow Jones industrial average, at one point, down almost 1,000 points while the euro sank to its lowest level in more than a year. There were substantial declines in emerging markets, whose economies had seemed to be booming, and in developed markets fearful of renewed recessions.

Even though a substantial part of the worst plunge appeared to be linked to a trader error — one $40 stock fell for a time to one penny — prices had fallen around the world even before such mistakes began to happen.

It appears that investors are again growing more hesitant to own assets like stocks and bonds, particularly since many now cost far more than they did only a few months ago. Another sharp retrenchment by investors, consumers and businesses could threaten the current global recovery by choking off financing and new orders for companies.

The height of panic on Thursday was reached shortly after lunchtime in the United States. First some currencies began to fall rapidly, with the euro suffering especially against the Japanese yen.

That could have been an indication that some large traders were unwinding positions. It has been popular to borrow yen at low interest rates and then use the money to speculate in higher yielding assets denominated in other currencies. Anyone unwinding such a trade would buy yen to repay the loan.

Then, within a few minutes, the United States stock market appeared to be collapsing. Some of the decline was real, but another part of it was simply trading gone awry. "

By the close of the day, the Dow was down 347.80 points, or 3.2 percent, to 10,520.32.

For First Time in Six Years, Nintendo's Profits Drop

2010-05-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Barry Levine, newsfactor.com Barry Levine, newsfactor.com – Tue May 4, 12:02 pm ET
Has Nintendo's ascendancy peaked? On Thursday, the video game maker will report earnings from the fiscal year that ended March 31, and it is expected to show the first drop in profits in six years.

The Wii's price drop before the last shopping season, from $250 to $200 in the U.S., helped boost overall sales, and there are new technologies coming out, but these weren't enough to boost the expected profit of $2.4 billion, or 229 billion yen -- a decrease over previous years.

Glassless 3-D

Weak sales earlier in the fiscal year, and a strong yen in addition to the price cuts, helped to reduce profitability. The console maker is expected to show sales of about 20 million Wii machines and 30 million DS machines during the fiscal year.

The Wii game console, with a motion-sensing controller and an emphasis on games that appeal to the entire family, has been a popular product that took competitors Microsoft and Sony by surprise, but now other innovations are expected to catch up with Nintendo.

With Sony releasing a new motion controller for its game console, and Microsoft about to release a controller that operates simply by motions of the player's hands and body, Nintendo is looking to find some competitive angle to prevent further slippage.

3-D gaming is one of the new innovations that Nintendo is trying out. A new portable model, currently called the 3-DS, is expected to be revealed at the big E3 show scheduled for Los Angeles in mid-June. Sales are expected to begin in the current Nintendo fiscal year.

Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 are releasing 3-D games for their consoles that require special glasses, but Nintendo has said its handheld unit with 3D doesn't need glasses.

'State-of-Art' Becomes 'So What?'

Nintendo has not revealed the technology behind the glassless 3-D. According to news reports, the 3-DS will have backward compatibility with games for the Nintendo DS and DSi. The company has sold more than 125 million DS units since its launch six years ago, making it the most popular handheld game device.

Nintendo is also trying new bundling deals. Beginning May 9, the Wii Sports Resort game and MotionPlus controller will be included with new consoles, a $50 value provided at no addition cost. The new controller offers greater accuracy, and the console will be offered in a choice of black or white. Currently, the bundle is the Wii Remote controller, a Nunchuk controller, and Wii Sports.

Michael Gartenberg, partner and analyst with the Altimeter Group, said he didn't know if Nintendo's run has ended for the moment, but that their profit drop "shows has fast-moving this market is."

"What was 'state-of-the-art' can quickly become 'so what?'" he said. Nintendo is "looking to mobile and 3D to reignite the enthusiasm," Gartenberg noted, especially with the impending public introduction of Microsoft's hand-and-body controller, Project Natal, at the E3 show.

I am not suprised that Nintendo's profits are falling. I think that the novelty of having an interactive system helped drive its sales. In fact my family and I bought into that. I think that the problem is that there are really no good games for the Wii. In fact we have thought about getting rid of ours. Perhaps instead of trying to be the first to come out with new technology they should put some of that enthusiasm into making quality games for the consumers. Thats just my opinion. What do you guys think?

Movie Gallery Out

2010-05-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Isn't if funny how things seem to foreshadow themselves in real life as they do in movies?
It seems like just yesterday we were sitting in class talking about Movie Gallery's chances of survival... Oh, crap, it was just yesterday!
Well, today it was announced that the movie-rental giant will be closing its doors, all 2,415 of them, in the US. That means about 15,000 jobs lost as well as the end of an era for those of us that still have the fond memories of jumping in the van on a Tuesday afternoon to check out the newest releases at the video store hoping we got there in time to get a copy.
So there you have it. Movie Gallery is out, Block Buster will give serious consideration to even the darkest type of voodoo to save their own hide, and YouTube is now renting movies, and nobody cares.

COMMENT

Bedolla out!

new ipod wheel

2010-05-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

http://venturebeat.com/2010/02/03/apple-patents-ipod-like-wheel-on-ipad-touchscreen/

There is going to be a new ipod wheel. The makers are saying that it is a touch screen wheel. this is so that the wheel will only be activated by a human hand. Personally I have had several
ipod's and I have never had a problem with the sound turning itself up on its own.

not my words theirs : The patent explains that the “intelligent bezel,” as it’s called, adjusts itself to the orientation of the tablet screen, either horizontal or vertical. It is accompanied by touchable controls around the edge of the screen

I personally think that apple is just getting carried away what is the purpose of this it seems as if they continue to come out with more improvements. any comments? why do they continue to re invent something that already sells so well.

Sony Sued for removing Linux support for Ps3

2010-05-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Patricia Resende, newsfactor.com Patricia Resende, newsfactor.com – Thu Apr 29, 6:05 pm ET
Sony Computer Entertainment is under fire by PlayStation 3 owners. A class-action suit has been brought against Sony for removing Linux support from PS3 consoles in its latest upgrade.

An attorney for PS3 owner Anthony Ventura filed the suit against Sony in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Wednesday after Sony removed support for Linux in its PlayStation 3.21 software update.

After Sony announced the update on March 28, unhappy PS3 owners took their frustrations to the web by flooding Sony's official PlayStation blog with angry comments. A total of 7,454 comments were posted as of Thursday. While some are upset with losing Linux support, others are more angry with Sony for removing a feature for which they paid.

Ventura, however, took his frustrations straight to a lawyer who filed the class-action suit on his behalf.

No Joke

PlayStation 3 owners were anticipating the PlayStation 3.21 upgrade slated for April 1, but thought Sony was playing an April Fools' Day joke when it said the upgrade would remove support for Linux.

Sony quickly warned users that the upgrade was no a joke and, in fact, was an attempt to protect the intellectual property of the content offered on the PS3 system as well as to provide a more secure system. PS3 owners who chose not to upgrade risked losing other PS3 features, according to Sony, including access to the PlayStation Network, newer games, and Blu-ray movies. Gamers who decided not to upgrade also risked losing playback of copyright-protected videos stored on a media server, the company warned.

If Judge Edward Chen allows the class-action suit, it would include all individuals who bought a PS3 between Nov. 17, 2006, and March 27, 2010, according to reports. The suit does not specify any amount in requested damages, but does state damages will not exceed $5 million.

The story went on to say that this is not the first lawsuit that Sony has had filed against them because of the PS3. They were sued previously because an update caused a person's system to malfunction. The author of the story also writes that she does not believe this will hurt Sony. What do you think? Do you guys think that this update is worth the unsatisfied customers? What do you think the repructions if any would be?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20100429/bs_nf/73070

Authors Unbound Online...

2010-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

Authors Unbound Online

In this NYTimes article, it addresses the very idea of a "niche" world just like The Long Tail speaks of.

This article is about "self-publishing" and how easy it is to do these days. Not only that, the negative connotation that was once associated with "self-publishing" is fading in an entertainment world that has its users, average people, giving us content in any form or method online.

Just as the article states,

"In this time of Twitter feeds and self-designed Snapfish albums and personal YouTube channels, it’s hard to remember the stigma that once attached to self-publishing. But it was very real."

"But times have changed, and radically. Last year, according to the Bowker bibliographic company, 764,448 titles were produced by self-publishers and so-called microniche publishers. (A microniche, I imagine, is a shade bigger than a self.) "

All throughout this article, it just demonstrates the amazing power of the individual creator to, once again, put their work out there and even if it's small, low-profit, and barely gets noticed, it is "crafty and can beat big and branded." It's honestly very impressive to me. I like user-generated content, mainly for my own personal entertainment.

So does this make anyone credible like a writer? Not having to go through a publisher, will the users who read this content think a bit less of it? For school, formal, or historical reading, is it good people create books that may not be factually correct?

Either way, this is just ANOTHER example of how niche content is taking over, and the best-sellers may just one day come from a online shelf of "self-published" digital books. Who knows?

As IndieReader, an online source for self-published books, puts it, “Think of these books like handmade goods, produced in small numbers, instead of the mass-marketed stuff you’d find at a superstore.”

Ole in with the New

2010-05-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

The ipad has changed a 99 year old woman's life. The Portland, Ore native is using the newest ipad to overcome medical woes. After hearing about the ipad, this new invention has allowed the 99 year old to get back to reading and writing. Campbell, had a love for writing poetry, although she never owned a computer. The lightweight pad makes it feasible to enhance her experience with it's brightness levels and text size. Is this ipad something we can see older adults to catch a hold to?

Apple shuts down music download site LaLa.com

2010-04-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES – Apple is shutting down Lala.com, the online music retailer it bought last year. The move comes amid speculation that Apple will soon offer a way for people to access songs from distant computers.

A message posted on Lala's home page late Thursday says the service isn't accepting new users and will shut down at the end of May.

Some executives in the online music industry suspect Apple is working on letting its iTunes customers buy and listen to songs in a way that doesn't require downloads. Instead users would access music stored on servers through cell phone networks.

Such so-called "cloud music" services have gotten a boost from recent price cuts and applications that allow playback even outside of cell-phone coverage.

Apple declined to comment Friday on its future plans.

Is this a smart move for Apple? What do you guys think was the motive behind them shutting down this website: it was not as succesful as they anticipated when they purchased it or to focus more consumers to Itunes? I was not familiar with this web site until I found the article and others that i have talked to were not familiar with it either.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100430/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_apple_lala

Phone Scam

2010-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

I found this article: http://tinyurl.com/3dlo7w posted on the Department of Communications bulletin board.

This article informs clients and readers of scam calls from the 809 area code. The area code is a legitimate area code for the Dominican Republic. The long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently acquire high charges on their phone bills. The scammed consumer receives a message telling them to call a phone number with an 809, 284, or 876 area code in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. The caller assumes they are calling a typical three-digit U.S. area code, but they are actually connected to a phone number outside of the U.S. and they are charged international call rates. The consumer does not find out they have been charged high international call rates until they receive their bill. AT&T offers tips and information on what to do if you believe you've been scammed in the press release.

AT&T did make efforts to inform their clients and other readers of this phone scam. So many services compete with others; with this knowledge do you think AT&T could have done more to inform their clients (such as sending out a free text message to their clients)? Do you think their informational press release affects their consumer satisfaction, or do you even think they notice? Does this have the potential to affect customer loyalty for AT&T in the long run? Any other thoughts?

Your Phone is Locked. Just Drive.

2010-04-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered when they were going to figure out a cool way to have "away messages" for your phone while driving...just something to inform people that THAT is what you're doing if/when you don't reply or answer.

Well...apparently they have apps for that basic idea now. Its Phone Safety and they are definitely aiming it towards parents to get these apps for their teenager's phone. Of course, most basic phones do not have the capability for these apps, not even the iPhone...yet. BUT, the future may just hold that all new phones have this capability, or may even be required. What do you think?

This article begins with this statement:

"The statistics on distracted driving are pretty scary. Just making cellphone calls increases your chances of crashing by four times; sending text messages increases the risk 23 times."

If this is true, that's awfully scary...considering most of the people I know, either call, text, or both while they drive....I mean, honestly, I do more than I should too.

So, this article talks about the few apps available and what they each do and how much they cost. They are all pretty creative and maybe, depending on the future, will be on every phone in the market. Technology will only get better, and the driving laws may just have to get stricter...

Do you think they will make texting illegal while driving? Do you think eventually all cell phones will have this ability to block messaging and calls while driving? Do you think one day we'll even have a choice? I compare it to drunk driving in some ways....I mean, if it gets that bad, I figure they will start looking for ways to prevent it. Who knows?

Here's the article from the NYTIMES.com

"Your Phone is Locked. Just DRIVE."

Who are the 10 most powerful in TV news?

2010-04-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

TV news has certainly made some changes in the past year, largely due to the economy and a push for media consolidation. In local news, people are working longer hours with less resources and less pay. Two out of the three large networks have made numerous layoffs, in an effort to keep profit up. With cable's growing viewership and the increasingly convenient online news sources, who are the people that are still making progress for the networks?

Number 1,
The Chairman and CEO of FOX News, Roger Ailes.
Number 2,
President of NBC News, Steve Capus; President of MSNBC, Phil Griffin; and
President of CNBC, Mark Hoffman.
Number 3,
President of CNN Worldwide, Jim Walton; President of CNN/U.S., Jon Klein; and Executive Vice President of CNN Worldwide, Ken Jautz- responsible for HLN
Number 4,
President of CBS News and CBS Sports, Sean McManus
Number 5,
Host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, Jon Stewart
Number 6,
President of ABC News, David Westin
Number 7,
Fox News Channel's host of the O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly; and host Glenn Beck
Number 8,
Barbara Walters and others on The View
Number 9,
N.S. Bienstock Agency
Number 10,
Christiane Amanpour from ABC News; and Candy Crowley from CNN

look at http://www.tvweek.com/news/2010/04/the_10_most_powerful_in_tv_new.php
to see how these powerful news people are working with and for their networks to keep up their ratings.

Parents Using Smartphones to Entertain Bored Kids

2010-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

A recent story from CNN.com reported that more and more parents are handing their smartphones to their children to keep them entertained. The days of coloring books and action figures are over, but the need to keep children occupied certainly is not. People have always brought toys, or something to entertain their child, into restaurants and stores," says the mom, who lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan. "Now we just have better technology." It’s no surprise that the phone has filled the entertainment void for children, being that similar electronics such as TVs, video games, and personal computers have been doing it for years. The fact that phones are convenient, portable, and possess more options for parents makes it an easy decision. The article pushed this point, stating, “now more and more parents are discovering smartphones' similar ability to engage squirmy kids at restaurants, in the car and anywhere else where youngsters grow bored.”

The phone industries and application developers caught on as well. Looking beyond the fact that the phones themselves have touch screens, moving objects and bright colors that hold young eyes hostage, the content on the phones shows a clear market for children. The children’s application market is booming, and it seems to be going nowhere but up. Almost half of the top 100-selling education apps in the iTunes App Store were for preschool or elementary-aged children in November 2009, according to a content analysis by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which promotes digital media technologies to advance children's learning. Expert Carly Shuler says the reason for this -- assuming the majority of 3- to 10-year-olds don't own their own phones -- is because adults are taking advantage of the smartphone's ability to act as a mobile learning or entertainment device for their children.

So the big question: why are children so fascinated with the smartphones? Shuler weighed in, saying, “When you look at the design of the iPhone ... the interface is very tactile and well suited to what a child naturally does, they think with their fingers. If they see something they like, they'll jab at it and touch it. And children love flipping things. If you flip the iPhone, something will happen. If you shake the iPhone, something will happen."

“Take a look at some of the best-selling toys throughout the years,” she said. “Kids have always loved to play with toy telephones, toy lawn mowers, toy ovens and toy vacuum cleaners. They like to play with things their parents have, considering how much time parents spend on [their phones], it makes sense that kids would want them, too."

Smartphones are now serving as a center for entertainment and education for children everywhere from restaurants to grocery stores. What advances do you see on the horizon for mobile devices and them being geared toward children?

The story: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/26/smartphones.kids/index.html

What you should know about Facebook's changes

2010-04-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, California (CNN) -- Facebook announced some changes on Wednesday that are intended to make the Internet more social. Essentially, Facebook is stretching out into the rest of the Web.
But what do these new features actually mean for everyday people who use the Internet?
And when you see these Facebook-looking features popping up on other Web sites, how do you know what to do with them?
Here's a quick guide, based on a comments by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, and interviews with developers who create applications for the massively popular social-networking site:
"Like" buttons

Buttons with the word "like" and a thumbs-up icon on them are going to start popping up all over the Internet. By clicking one, you indicate that you find the content interesting, relevant or helpful. Basically, you would recommend it to a friend.

Before Wednesday, "like" buttons only were on Facebook. Now, they'll be all over the place, including on this site. When you click one, you post the item -- whether it's a blog post, photo or celebrity web page -- to your Facebook news feed.

Read about how the feature will work on CNN.com.

The "liked" content may also become part of your Facebook profile, and visible to your friends or to everyone, depending on how your privacy settings are configured on Facebook.
Continue reading@ http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/21/facebook.changes.users/index.html?npt=NP1

I am currently researching the ethical issues of privacy entailed in social media sites,this can bring a lot of privacy issues, as well as some possibly beneficial data for companies. What are your thoughts on this issue?

Your Body as a Touchscreen

2010-04-26T14:28:00.001-07:00

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In Chris Harrison's ideal world, mobile phones would be the size of matchbooks. They'd have full-size keyboards. They'd browse the Web. They'd play videos.

And, most importantly, you'd never have to touch them.

Sound like too much to ask? Maybe not.

Harrison, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University and a former intern at Microsoft Research, has developed a working prototype of a system called Skinput that does just that, essentially by turning a person's hand and forearm into a keyboard and screen.

Watch the video and read the rest of the article at http://bit.ly/dlLoIM

I came across this video and it reminded me of our class discussion on where technology will be in 10 years. This article and video talks about 'Skinput' where your body becomes a touchscreen based off the vibrations from tapping your hand or wrist. A screen is literally projected on your forearm as it would in your phone. What are your thoughts on this technology?

Parents using smartphones to entertain bored kids

2010-04-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

(CNN) -- When Julie Sidder's daughters were younger, her diaper bag was filled with coloring books, crayons, storybooks and little games in case one of them became restless.

Now that Sidder's kids are 4 and 7, the diaper bag is gone, but the need for entertainment -- especially in restaurants -- is not, which is why two-thirds of the apps on Sidder's iPhone are for her children.

"People have always brought toys, or something to entertain their child, into restaurants and stores," says the mom, who lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan. "Now we just have better technology."

Harried parents for years have relied on glowing electronic screens -- TVs, video games, computers -- to entertain children in the home. Now more and more parents are discovering smartphones' similar ability to engage squirmy kids at restaurants, in the car and anywhere else where youngsters grow bored.

Read the rest of the article at http://bit.ly/dv51IC

Parents are using the iPhone to help entertain their kids while they are out in public. Parents do not look at this as a babysitting tool, but a way to help the child's hand eye coordination. Also, some parents believe by their kids playing with the phone it will help them become more comfortable with technology. The educational apps for the children to play on are growing at a rapid rate.

Do you think the iPhone is really helping to educate the younger generation or this is another way for Smartphones to make more money?

Avatar DVD release

2010-04-25T20:20:00.001-07:00

Avatar was released on DVD and BlueRay this week. It is still maintaining its popularity by bringing in 6.7 million dollars in rentals so far. I am suprised that the DVD is so popular without it being the 3D version that most people saw in the theatres. Fox spokesman still haven't made an announcement about a possible 3D release of this movie. Do you think a 3D release would be as popular or even more popular? Should the executives wait so long before releasing it in hopes that the popularity doesn't wear off? Also how will the home 3D experience differ from that in the movie theatre?

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=495707

Alice and wonderland Fasion

2010-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Alice and wonderland Fasion

Disney has come up with an Alice and Wonderland Fashion line. The cloths are inspired by the Tim Burton Film that will be released on 1 June 2010. Its interesting that Disney which is geared towards Children is now Making Cloths for adults as well as kids. The Thought of Wearing Alice and Wonderland Fashion makes me ask the question "Is this a good move?". I mean while adults my love the fabulous art work featured in the Alice and Wonderland Movie, will they enjoy wearing it? As a company, is this a big risk or a even better new trend. What do you think? These outfits are expected to run from 114$-120$ retail price

3D TV

2010-04-24T23:56:00.001-07:00

There's been a lot of talk about the possibilities for 3D television but this is the first time I've seen a major advertising campaign for it.
This is a commercial for the new Samsung 3D LED TV and it is completely AWESOME!

Check it out

and let me know what you think in the comments

SLY as Fox...

2010-04-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

I recently found an article on http://www.mediamatters.org/ that argued Fox News is running a crusade against Muslims.

"The network has a history of making controversial assertions about Muslims-often by basely branding them as "terrorists" or "terrorist sympathizers"--calling for profiling, or equating Islam and all of its adherents with radical extremists who claim to act in its name."

On today's edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Fox news hosted evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Rev. Billy Graham, to discuss reports that the Army is reconsidering their invitation for him to appear at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer due to his negative words towards the Islamic religion.

More comments from Graham and other Fox & Friends guests can be found here: www.tinyurl.com/2e9bwaz

Fox has always played to an audience. During the election, it is possible they dug themself into a hole, or gold mine, by branding themself as conservative. I feel, in order to keep their network and ratings, they are playing to a specific crowd, through the messages they are sending.

This is perfect for our class, in my opinion, because it reminds you that our society is about making money, suppy and demand. Initially, this article annoyed me with the media, and it blew my mind that the media would allow this coverage.
Though it seemed shocking, media wouldn't cover this if there wasn't a demand. So many people are mad at media, including myself sometimes, but we are to blame and actually have more control than we think.

Additional thoughts?

South Park Censored?

2010-04-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you are fans of the show, but I am pretty fanatical!

The past two episodes have featured some of the plots, celebrities, and jeers in seasons past. These episodes were 200 and 201 for the show. A major premise of the show surrounded the depiction of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, which is no new topic for the show. On this occasion, even the words Muhammad and Prophet were censored, along with the image himself.

How do you feel about the censorship? Do you think it was forced upon the South Park creators? What is a move made by the creators to poke fun at the situation?

http://tv.yahoo.com/south-park/show/492/news/tv-news.en.reuters.com/tv-news.en.reuters.com-20100422-us_southpark_muslims

Facebook's New Ad Scheme Gets More Personal

2010-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Facebook is taking their advertising services to the next level; adding the possibilities for virtually any company to add a "Like" button to their site. By participating, companies will then have valuable tracking data on how many and what type of people use their products. The "Like" button has been a staple of Facebook; allowing users to see what posts interest their friends. Much like the "Fan" service, the "Like" service will allow advertisers to individually target users with ads related to their "Likes". While the targeted ad system has been in use for some time under the "Interests" section of users' profiles, the "Like" system will make it more personal.

I wonder just how much influence this type of direct-to-user advertising will have on the user's personal decisions. If ads are no longer broad spectrum, but personally targeted, how much else does the company know about you and how to influence your life?

Read the WSJ article here: http://bit.ly/93yaUY

Shake Weight Advertising

2010-04-21T06:20:00.001-07:00

So, have you all heard about the Shake Weight? When it was released the following commercial advertised it. Shortly after, they received a lot of criticism about how it works. There are plenty of youtube videos that you can find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S3C4AC908w

Today I saw a new commercial in which they didn't demonstrate the exercise equipment...
If you can find it, repost it. I couldn't find it.

Question: I think that this sexually suggestive commercial helped the sales of the product! I know, my friend got it because I told her it was a scam and how stupid it looked. What do you think?